F1 makes its second trip to North America for the 2023 season this weekend with the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. While both Red Bull cars – especially two-time defending champion Max Verstappen – have shown imperious pace this season, Mercedes’ recent upgrades have made the Silver Arrows more formidable and the infamous Montreal weather could set the stage for competitive racing.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix:
Canadian Grand Prix TV/streaming schedule
All times Eastern
Friday
1:25 – 2:30 p.m.: Free practice 1 (ESPN2, ESPN app, F1 TV Pro)
4:55 – 6 p.m.: Free practice 2 (ESPN2, ESPN app, F1 TV Pro)
Saturday
12:25 – 1:30 p.m.: Free practice 3 (ESPN2, ESPN app, F1 TV Pro)
3:55 – 5 p.m.: Qualifying (ESPN2, ESPN app, F1 TV Pro)
Sunday
12:30 – 1:55 p.m.: Pre-race show (ABC, ESPN app)
1:55 – 4 p.m.: Canadian Grand Prix (ABC, ESPN app, F1 TV Pro)
1:55 – 4 p.m.: The Grandstand with Daniel Ricciardo and Will Arnett (ESPN2, ESPN app)
Canadian Grand Prix details
Track: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Montreal), 2.17-mile, 14-turn road course
Race length: 70 laps for 190 miles
Lap record: 1:13.078 (Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 2019)
Tire compounds: C3 (Hard), C4 (Medium), C5 (Soft)
Last year’s winner: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
Canadian Grand Prix entry list
Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes
George Russell (63), Mercedes
Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault
Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari
Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari
Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari
Nyck De Vries (21), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes
Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes
Top drivers and best bets for the Canadian Grand Prix
Max Verstappen (-275), who won last year’s Canadian Grand Prix from pole en route to his second straight championship, once again enters the weekend as the overwhelming favorite with a negative moneyline at BetMGM. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate enters the weekend at 5-to-1 after finishing last in 2022 due to a gearbox issue. Lewis Hamilton (+800), who has won seven times on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is the only other driver that enters the weekend with better than 10-to-1 odds.
Best odds to win
Max Verstappen -275
Sergio Perez +500
Lewis Hamilton +800
Earlier in the week, Yahoo Sports’ Nick Bromberg wrote on some attractive prop bets for the weekend. Bromberg likes Lando Norris to finish in the points (-140), citing the McLaren driver’s strong qualifying effort two weeks ago in Spain. Bromberg is also bullish on Alpine’s Esteban Ocon to finish ahead of teammate Pierre Gasly (-125), something he’s done in the past two races.
Weather for the Canadian Grand Prix
It wouldn’t be a Canadian Grand Prix weekend without at least the threat of rain. The forecast calls for precipitation Friday and Saturday with temperatures in the low 70s. It should be significantly cooler on race day with cloud cover and a 55% chance of rain. Mixed conditions can be the great equalizer, as some areas of the track get more slippery than others and teams weigh how much lap time can be saved on grooved tires vs. slicks.
On the other hand, the two known masters of the rain in Verstappen and Hamilton also enter with the best equipment and would appear likely to start at the front of the grid.
